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Observer Viewpoint
Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: Viewpoint

Anyone old enough to speak coherently at the time still remembers the moment, over forty years ago, when they heard about JFK&#39;s assassination. Our grandparents can tell us how they listened to the radio accounts of Pearl Harbor on a December day, more than six decades gone. Every single one of us here at Notre Dame can recall where we were on the day of Sept. 11, 2001 - what we were doing, how the horribly tragic events of that morning unfolded for us and our personal feelings on the matter. Any time someone shares a personal story of That Day, I&#39;m always amazed at the details people recall.

I remember listening to Paul Harvey&#39;s show on my AM radio while driving to school when he announced the first plane crash. I remember talking about it with my friend before the start of first-hour Biology, and I remember the girl who came in and told us the other tower had been hit. I remember conversations I had that day, things different teachers said and talking with my grandparents in the evening. That was my experience, half a country away, without a personal connection to anyone involved. The mass media of the past century gave rise to a new, shared cultural experience, a common reference point that breaches distance and background: the generation-defining event.

When we hear 9/11 described this way, it is absolutely on-target.

This week, we have another national tragedy. News of the massacre at Virginia Tech on Monday spread like wildfire throughout both national and international outlets, even reaching most of us studying abroad in Europe within the hour. We learned of the catastrophe over television stations, through quickly formed Facebook groups, on Internet news sites and during instant messaging conversations. Solid facts came slowly, but no report could sanitize away the fear, confusion, anger, torrential grief and host of other emotions that assault us all in such times.

This is the great curse of our generation&#39;s hyper-awareness and the awesome power of modern media. We cannot escape the sentiments swirling around the tragedies, and they cannot remain anonymous or distant to us. It is hard to ignore the images of grown men and women crying as dead college students are carried away, the surreal sounds of gunshots being fired on a peaceful college campus or the first-hand accounts of courage and action during the Virginia shootings. I hesitate to compare this with 9/11; the numbers, circumstances, impact, source, scope and means are worlds apart. Yet both incidents serve to painfully remind us that these events always seem to be associated with sorrow, tragedy and death.

The events of Monday, though still fresh in my mind, will probably not stick with me as do those of 9/11. Sadly, the thousands of students and faculty and staff connected with the university, the thousands of parents worrying at home and the thousands of residents in the surrounding community don&#39;t have that luxury of separation. For them, this will become a "where were you when..." event. Monday will haunt their minds and stay with them for the duration of their lives. Healing can take place, and God willing, can come soon, but memories of all the little details from Monday will stick. Meanwhile, the rest of us are stuck asking ourselves: How many more of these "defining" events can we plan on seeing in the coming years and decades? And when can we expect one judged not by the body count or human toll, but by the rewards and human joy brought about?

Some may say any event that becomes constantly discussed, like 9/11, does not develop its crystalline clarity in the moments of its occurrence, but rather slowly cements itself during the constant regurgitation of facts and satellite details in the months and years following. Even if this were the case, we are still left empty-handed trying to think of a ubiquitous positive event. I firmly believe that such events, incredibly wonderful instead of shockingly horrific, are entirely possible. Unfortun-ately, we are still waiting to see what such an event would look like.

The consistently negative nature of these events can be explained to some degree. "Good events," for one, rarely culminate in one triumphant moment. Tragedy, on the other hand, catches us unaware. In the shock, the horrific facts come slowly and there are a thousand unknowns. With triumphant accomplishments, the event is often merely symbolic and known well in advance. The closest models I can call to mind are the fall of the Berlin Wall - which I and most of my classmates were too young to remember - and the moon landing, decades before we were born.

Our generation, already exposed to so much death and murder and war and evil, still waits for its anti-9/11. We have yet to gather around our televisions and computers to share joy instead of sorrow, fulfillment instead of shock, pleasure instead of anger. We are the waiting. But for the moment, in respect for the Virginia Tech community, let us remember that we are also among the mourning.

James Dechant is a junior studying abroad in Rome this semester. Questions, complaints and rude remarks can be sent to jdechant@nd.edu

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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ND looks into cell phone text messaging to alert students of emergencies

Kaitlynn Riely, Aaron Steiner and Ken Fowler

Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News

Notre Dame has procedures in place to respond to major incidents and crises, but the University is not commenting on most specifics of those plans, officials said Wednesday.

Nationwide, universities have been asked about - and have offered self-evaluations of -emergency protocols in the aftermath of Monday&#39;s mass slayings at Virginia Tech University. A lone gunman apparently shot and killed two students in a dorm on the Blacksburg, Va., campus two hours before opening fire and killing 30 more people in one of the school&#39;s academic buildings half a mile away.

"Suffice it to say, that plans do exist," University spokesman Don Wycliff said. "They are constantly being reviewed in light of the Virginia Tech experience, and we would be [foolish] if we do not attempt to review those plans."

Wycliff said he expects Notre Dame to comment on campus security plans in the future, but he couldn&#39;t give an exact date.

Notre Dame Security/Police (NDSP) Director Phil Johnson declined to comment on NDSP&#39;s procedures for crisis management plans and referred all questions to University representatives in the Office of News and Information.

Wycliff declined to comment on what offices have the authority to lock down buildings or entire portions of campus in the event of an emergency. He would not say if the University has a campus broadcasting system it could use to transmit emergency messages to faculty, students and staff.

But Gordon Wishon, the University&#39;s chief information officer, said Notre Dame has been looking into the possibility of compiling a database of cellular phone numbers to send text messages to in the event of a campus emergency.

Wishon said the University is preparing to launch a pilot program of the text messaging system, and it will test the service throughout the remainder of this semester and summer. He said the University expects to have this service fully ready by the fall.

He said the discussions and plans received more attention and support when Notre Dame eliminated standard telephone lines in each dorm room in 2006.

"We began exploring that some time ago ... realizing that the primary mode of communication for college students is cell phones," Wishon said of the text messaging plan.

Wishon noted that the University added voicemail service and each student is given a voicemail number, but officials believed they needed to look into other methods of communication in case of a crisis.

"We knew that wouldn&#39;t work in case of an emergency," Wishon said.

In addition to the text messaging plan, Wishon said the Office of Information Technology has looked into and is investigating the possibility of voice messages and video messages - available through e-mails or from a Web site - as well as the idea of utilizing the closed-circuit television system on campus for public service announcements.

Wishon said the University is looking into the possibility of broadcasting an emergency tone on Notre Dame&#39;s 10 reserved cable channels to alert the University community of any emergencies if it deemed it necessary.

"The bottom line is that we are looking for as many ways as we can to communicate with students, as well as staff and faculty, in an emergency or crisis situation," he said. "As terrible as Monday&#39;s tragedy is, the administration here at the University has been working to refine its crisis management plan for some time."

Wishon said the work to "refine" and review crisis management plans was organized and initiated by the Office of the President.

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Jenkins e-mail explains University security

Ken Fowler

Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: News

Though Notre Dame created a task force in 2006 to review crisis plans, the deaths of 33 people at Virginia Tech Monday "will spur even greater review and preparedness," University President Father John Jenkins said in an e-mail to students Thursday.

Though limited in scope, Jenkins&#39; message was the most in-depth explanation of Notre Dame&#39;s security measures since Monday&#39;s shootings.

In the 700-word letter, Jenkins said Notre Dame has procedures in place to respond to natural emergencies as well as acts of violence. The University continues to search for the best ways to communicate with students in the event of a campus crisis.

Jenkins noted the Office of Information Technology&#39;s pilot program to send text messages to all students who provide their cell phone numbers.

University spokesman Don Wycliff said Thursday that Jenkins&#39; letter did not go into more detail about specific response procedures as a safety precaution, so that security details of the plan would not be compromised.

"There had been a sense all during the week that at some point it would be appropriate to address the issues," Wycliff said. "Today seemed appropriate."

Jenkins reaffirmed the University&#39;s desire to have the service fully operational by fall and said officials would encourage students to participate in "this important and innovative communications initiative."

The question of communication is only heightened by the University&#39;s decision in 2006 to de-standardize land telephone lines in dorm rooms.

In an interview with The Observer at the beginning of the school year, Director of Integrated Communications Services at OIT Steven Ellis said only 60 students initially paid a $161 fee to have the dorm phones in their room. Every resident assistant, however, does have a landline, provided free.

In the e-mail, Jenkins expressed confidence that Notre Dame Security/Police&#39;s (NDSP) 28 police officers and 35 additional security personnel could adequately handle major incidents on campus and work with other local emergency responders to control a crisis scene.

"These men and women receive regular training to address a wide variety of emergency situations, and the department maintains a productive and close relationship with all public safety agencies in the area," Jenkins said.

For emergency situations, Jenkins said, the University maintains 48 call boxes throughout campus and keeps telephones in the public areas of each residence hall.

Jenkins did not detail a specific plan of action for NDSP in the event of a major campus incident and did not say what University officials have the authority to declare a lock-down on potions campus or specific buildings.

"Please know that safety is of paramount importance to all of us at Notre Dame," Jenkins said. "While we believe we are ready to respond to a myriad of circumstances, the tragedy at Virginia Tech will spur even greater review and preparedness."

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Well wishes for the Clas of &#39;007

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Gary Caruso
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Viewpoint

Rarely does a year&#39;s numerical arrangement offer a cute correlation to an icon like the parallel this year between the Class of &#39;007 with the fictional international spy James Bond. But this week is not a cute one with the massacre at Virginia Tech. Neither is this a charming year with the carnage that defies understanding of both young Americans and Iraqis in the Middle East. The feel of our time is reminiscent of my second semester of freshman year when four students were murdered at Kent State.

It may seem whimsically befitting that at this time of international strife and uncertainty, this year&#39;s seniors can be branded with the James Bond code name of "007." Yet it is evident that for the near future, the years ahead will be filled with learning experiences in hope of healing an unsettled world. Life at times is cruel, shocking and unforgiving. Ask the families of sons and daughters lost on the Virginia Tech campus. Ask the maimed servicemen and servicewomen who return from Iraq each day with the scars and nightmares of war.

Within a month, the Notre Dame senior class will march onward to many personal and individual victories. Graduates will disperse in every direction like the high-flying seeds of a mature dandelion scattering on a windy day. Their choices in life can be motivated by either fear or love. All of us must decide if we are motivated by fear so that we are reactive, or if we are motivated by love so that we reach out to others in a proactive way. Tragically, many of us never know that we have a choice.

Notre Dame teaches its graduates to know better, to be better and to act better - not in a self-righteous way, but in service to others. The bonds of love felt at Virginia Tech in light of this week&#39;s tragedy are the bonds Notre Dame slowly, subtly instills in its graduates throughout their four-year journey. Many times, though, graduates who believe in absolute certainties diminish their ability for tolerance, open-mindedness and acceptance. However, sometimes the greater forces of the universe change individuals through an abrupt tragedy or death.

This column regularly recalls Notre Dame&#39;s so-called "angels," the great friends and teachers who change or mold a student&#39;s outlook. In my era, Frank O&#39;Malley, Tom Stritch and Father Robert Griffin were among the iconic figures in our hearts. Most recently, former Notre Dame Security/Police Director Rex Rakow joined that heavenly group. Their thoughts, their deeds and their warmth were the formula that sprouted their wings, but more importantly, touched our hearts.

The members of the Class of &#39;007 cannot conform like puppets to a small segment of our society - although they have sought acceptance within the campus community for nearly four years. Do not confine yourselves to your sense of belonging, to your sense of behavior, or to your sense of morality. If you do limit yourselves, you will strike out against those who are different rather than embrace and tolerate others in our world.

In the family of nations, wisdom is the first cousin of freedom while freedom is the glory of our nation. Without wisdom we cannot be a beacon of light. We cannot be brave, gallant or kind. This nation once stood as the beacon of truth because others yearned for our ideals. Recently, we lost our moral authority with secret prisons, torture, indifference and duplicity. Our leaders replaced wisdom with an ideology.

Does anyone think the world can find answers when we have no dialogue? One thing is for sure, when the Class of &#39;007 grasps the torch of leadership, our nation will be less bigoted and more inclusive. The world will know that this year&#39;s graduates have asked the questions and extended a hand. It may take a decade to solve today&#39;s current international mess, but it is possible to heal and unite the world. Just when we have walked through a valley thinking that the sun has gone down on us, we should remember that it always comes up again.

Wisdom sometimes comes from the most unlikely sources, and we must learn to open our eyes to everyone. Robert Stroud, the famous prisoner known as "the Birdman of Alcatraz," found a baby sparrow and raised it to maturity. Whenever he thought it was time for the bird to go out into the world on its own, he said, "You best go find out who you are. Kick up dust, dance to fiddle music, taste sweet whiskey and red-eyed gravy. Bite the stars for me."

In the true tradition of Bond, James Bond, this writer has high hopes for the future of this year&#39;s graduates and wishes the Class of &#39;007 many bites at the stars. The dust, fiddle music, whiskey and red-eyed gravy are at your discretion.

Gary Caruso, Notre Dame &#39;73, is a political strategist who served as a legislative and public affairs director in President Clinton&#39;s administration. His column appears every other Friday. He can be contacted at hottline@aol.com

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Value of a life

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Letter to the Editor
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Viewpoint

This past Monday, people across the country were glued to their television screens, witnessing the chaos that ensued as the result of the violence carried out on the Virginia Tech campus. Deservedly, this event received a great deal of publicity - it was on the front page of The Observer and also had multi-page layouts and analysis in the Chicago Tribune and New York Times. What didn&#39;t receive due media attention were the 37 Iraqi civilians who died the same day of the very same unwarranted and selfish violence, as well as others in Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other war-torn regions who perish daily.

These stories were overshadowed by the story which undoubtedly hit much closer to home for many on the Notre Dame campus. But we must remember that regardless of the locality of violence, it is still violence. The Virginia Tech students who died are no more or no less human than the countless people who die every day.

This is neither a pro- nor anti-war debate. This is a life debate. The murders at Virginia Tech are indeed a tragedy, but please be aware that in many countries violence of this nature is part of their bleak, everyday reality. The frequency of this sort of violence should not discount its impact on our conscience. We must be thankful that we don&#39;t suffer from the fear of bombs and bloodshed on a daily basis but also be more mindful about the tragedies and suffering that are experienced by those stretched across the world.

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ND upset by NIU shooting

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Students ask question, "Could it happen here?"

John Tierney

Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: News

Notre Dame students expressed sadness and shock Thursday night at yesterday&#39;s shooting at Northern Illinois. The tragedy, in which at least six people, including the gunman, were killed and 17 were injured, occurred in a lecture hall less than three hours away from Notre Dame&#39;s campus.

Although this generation of Notre Dame students has grown up with school shootings ranging from Columbine in 1999 to Virginia Tech last year, students haven&#39;t become immune to the tragedy of school massacres.

"It was very tragic and scary. You have to wonder what&#39;s going on with those kids. It makes you wonder if something like that could happen at Notre Dame," sophomore Tim Nelson said.

Many students had not heard of the shooting by Thursday evening, including a group of seniors who stood speechless after being informed of the news.

Student body president Liz Brown noted that school shootings are becoming more common. "Unfortunately, this is kind of becoming an occurrence on college campuses across the nation. Hopefully, this trend will stop," she said.

Brown also expressed a sense of grief at the NIU tragedy.

"This is a hard thing to react to," she said. "This sort of thing has become all too common at schools in the United States."

Senior Meghan Jebb, who was studying in Dublin at the time of the Virginia Tech tragedy, questioned the universality of school shootings.

"I don&#39;t know if this kind of thing happens in other countries. After the Va. Tech shootings, the kids in Ireland were like, &#39;why do they have guns?&#39;" she asked.

Colleen Fleshman, who is from Illinois, said that her first reaction after hearing the news was to call her friends who attend NIU to make sure of their safety. She said she was relieved to find that all her friends were alright.

Although the shooter&#39;s motivations are not yet known, some students have wondered about the timing of his attack.

"It&#39;s too bad that people don&#39;t feel the love and support of the world and resort to doing something like this," he said. "We need to work on providing a loving and supportive environment to try to prevent this sort of tragedy."

Brown stressed that while she obviously hopes that no similar situation would happen at Notre Dame, the University has precautions in place designed to manage a tragedy.

"Certainly we hope it would never happen at Notre Dame," she said. "We think our campus is very safe. But if it were to ever happen, I&#39;m thankful that we do have the correct measures in place to adequately inform the student body and react quickly."

These measures include the Emergency Networking System that will alert students to any emergency situations through text messages, phone calls and emails. These emergency situations include shootings.

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Government to focus on action in upcoming year

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Committees establish 2007-08 agendas

Kaitlynn Riely

Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: News

In other Senate news:

Last week, the student government provided posters for students, faculty and staff to sign messages of condolence for the victims of the Virginia Tech shooting. Brown said 17 posters were filled with signatures, and they handed out approximately 600 yards of maroon and orange ribbon.

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There are still plenty of questions surrounding what happened Monday at Virginia Tech.

But one thing that isn&#39;t up for discussion is that Notre Dame should have a plan in case the unthinkable happens here.

Which is why University President Father John Jenkins&#39; e-mail Thursday discussing emergency plans was a welcome - and much needed - announcement for students, faculty and, maybe most of all, parents.

That message didn&#39;t come, however, until days after the shooting - days of wondering and worrying and wanting to know what Notre Dame would do.

Earlier this week, members of the administration and Notre Dame Security/Police were unwilling to comment on the University&#39;s preparedness for such an emergency, leaving students questioning if the plan was fully developed.

But now, Jenkins has reassured the community through an e-mail that, while somewhat vague, promises the University will work to further prepare for anything that may come along.

It&#39;s understandable that Notre Dame would need time to work out certain details before making a plan public. Still, when information of this nature isn&#39;t being released, it&#39;s important to tell people why, instead of generating anxious speculation that no plan exists.

Hopefully, Notre Dame&#39;s plan will eventually include the text-message initiative, one of the few specifics Jenkins included in his e-mail. If implemented, the procedure would go a long way to helping Notre Dame not repeat the delay in warning students that happened in Blacksburg.

While other details of the plan will likely always be kept secret, it&#39;s necessary to be open about all procedures and safety measures that do not compromise security - and open in telling students when information isn&#39;t released due to security concerns.

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Saint Mary&#39;s students may feel safe on their quiet residential Indiana campus, but until Monday, students in Blacksburg, Va., felt the same way. In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings, members of the Saint Mary&#39;s community have began asking, "Are we safe?"

College President Carol Ann Mooney addressed those concerns in an e-mail to students Wednesday, asking them to take steps to protect each other.

"Saint Mary&#39;s is a secure place, but that does not mean we have been lulled into complacency," she said in the e-mail. "We must remember that college safety and security is everyone&#39;s responsibility."

In an e-mail Tuesday, Vice President of Student Affairs Karen Johnson told students to keep their eyes open and report any suspicious activity on campus - especially near the residence halls.

"Don&#39;t let people &#39;tailgate&#39; into the residence halls behind you," Johnson said. "If anyone tries to do so, report them to the desk attendant or College Security."

Current emergency protocol

While the events at Virginia Tech are making colleges across the nation question their current safety procedures, Saint Mary&#39;s is simply working to improve the security protocols in place.

Saint Mary&#39;s is trying to improve the existing standard operating procedure in the event of a gun crime or shooting on campus, said Saint Mary&#39;s Director of Security David Gariepy.

But rather than a reaction to Monday&#39;s Virginia Tech bloodbath, Johnson said these upgrades are always on the administration&#39;s agenda.

"This is not something we just started working on," she said. "Security is always of utmost importance, and so we are always working on making it better."

The administration and members of a security planning committee, she said, are currently reviewing a new duty manual.

The Saint Mary&#39;s Security Web site has a detailed emergency response plan for chemical or biological threats and natural disasters, keeping the stipulations of Homeland Security. There is no specific mention, however, of gun crime protocols.

In any emergency, students can expect notification via e-mail, telephone and direct contact, according to the Web site.

The site also encourages students to have emergency supplies pre-packed in case of an evacuation and take shelter in the basement of Regina Hall.

"It is not recommended you remain in your room or office, nor should you leave the campus. Assistance will be provided for you there," the Web site reads.

As helpful these tips may be, Gariepy said each situation is different and unpredictable.

"Everything pertains to a particular situation. Going by the book doesn&#39;t always cut it," he said. "Students should always be aware."

The problem, though, is that most students are not keeping an eye out for suspicious activities, and even if they did, they might simply panic, sophomore Kristen Anderson said.

"If there was a shooting, a bomb threat, a rapist on campus, anything really, I would have no idea how to react, and I know many students feel the same way," she said.

Sophomore Perri Hamma felt the same, saying she was still shaking from hearing about the Virginia Tech massacre and wouldn&#39;t know how to react in a similar situation.

Of the four residence halls on Saint Mary&#39;s campus, only one - McCandless Hall - has an ID card swipe access system in place at the front door. LeMans and Regina Hall lobbies are open, but visitors must swipe an ID card to go up to the rooms. Holy Cross Hall does not require swiping at all, but Johnson said she doesn&#39;t think students in the residence hall are more exposed for this reason.

"I don&#39;t think there is any greater risk at Holy Cross than other dorms that require swiping," Johnson said. "If somebody really wants to get into any building, they will figure it out."

"The dorm is only as safe as the people that live there make it," she said.

Lockdown

In the event of a lockdown, Saint Mary&#39;s will "start at the top," Gariepy said. The president will make the judgment call through recommendations from security officials.

A lockdown, however, may not be the safest option.

"Lockdown isn&#39;t always a good option. It is determined by the particular event we are dealing with and may cause more harm than good," Gariepy said. "In some situations, keeping people where they are is good. In others, it could be dangerous."

While heightened security is assumed during emergency situations, the security Web site said that in case of an evacuation of Regina, all swipe-card systems would be deactivated "for easy access."

Johnson also said a campus lockdown is not necessarily the first choice.

"It really depends on if we can safely evaluate if it is safer to stay in your rooms or go some place safer," she said. "At Virginia Tech, it was decided it was safer to stay in the dorms. It really depends."

Communication and cooperation

In the case of Monday&#39;s massacre, authorities are still investigating Virginia Tech&#39;s response rate and implementation of its protocols. While Saint Mary&#39;s is willing to employ every method of communication to alert students, Gariepy said notifying students too early could also be dangerous.

"It is hard to put out a notification with something like a shooting unless we really and truly know what we&#39;re dealing with," he said. "If we don&#39;t know the facts, we could potentially alarm students when we don&#39;t have to."

Once the situation has been identified, however, Gariepy said the College would alert students in person, through e-mails, flyers and even an emergency toll-free number with regularly updated messages about the status of the emergency. This number is aimed more at parents, he said.

From there, the College notifies other agencies, including the St. Joseph County Police Department and Notre Dame Security/Police, to assist with the handling of the situation, Gariepy said. He said he is confident that these collaborations, combined with a calm and collected approach, will yield the best possible results for students.

"We [campus security] will stick to protocol at the present time," Gariepy said. "We always talk to the staff after events like this to keep it fresh in our minds, but, for the most part, we are going to stay consistent with our policies."

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At their first meeting following the shooting deaths of 32 students and faculty members at Virginia Tech, the Student Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to send a letter to the mourning community to express its condolences.

Student body president Liz Brown wrote the letter after she received several e-mails from students and senators asking the student government to do something in the wake of the tragedy.

The letter, signed by Brown and vice president Maris Braun as representatives of the Student Senate, expressed Notre Dame&#39;s shock and sorrow after Monday&#39;s events, when Virginia Tech senior Cho Seung-Hui opened fire - first in a dorm and then in a classroom building - before turning the gun on himself.

"Despite the many miles that separate our campuses, the victims of this tragedy, as well as the entire Virginia Tech community, remain at the forefront of our thoughts and always in our prayers," the letter reads. "No amount of words will take away the pain and suffering of these events, but we pray that God will guide you through this difficult time."

The letter also describes several memorial events the student government intends to hold today and in the next few days.

The student government plans to send posters depicting the mascots of each of the 27 dorms, signed by members of the Notre Dame community. Included with the posters, Brown said, will be a note of solidarity to say that Virginia Tech is included in the Notre Dame community.

Students can sign the posters today from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and on Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the main television lounge in LaFortune. Students can also sign the posters on Fieldhouse Mall today and Friday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Each person who signs the posters will receive a maroon or orange ribbon - Virginia Tech&#39;s colors - as a sign to show their solidarity with the school, Brown said.

A rosary service is planned at the Grotto for Friday, although no definitive time has been announced.

Senators disagreed over whether to light 32 candles at the Grotto or 33 - to include the gunman. Brown&#39;s original letter stated that the Notre Dame community would light 32 candles entwined with maroon and orange ribbons.

But Morrissey senator Tom Bacsik asked the Senate to consider whether or not to change that number to 33 to include Cho. Zahm senator Nick McCollum said he believed the number should be changed.

"I feel as a Catholic university, we do stand for forgiveness, and I think we should still pray for him for what he did," McCollum said. "I think we should forgive him."

Residence Life committee chair Mariana Montes questioned whether people at Virginia Tech - which is not a predominately Catholic university - would find Notre Dame&#39;s forgiveness offensive.

Brown said she would make the decision to change or not to change the number according to the number listed on Virginia Tech&#39;s Web site, allowing the school to make the decision about how many victims there were.